Correspondence  ® ® 

CONNECTED  WITH  THE  RESIGNATION  OF 


Rev.  James  3-  Dennis,  D.D., 

FROM  HIS  OFFICIAL  CONNECTION 
AS  A MISSIONARY  IN  SYRIA  WITH 


@ ® Tlje  I^oard  of  Foreign  Missions 

of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 


T HI5  CORRESPONDENCE  ® ® ® 

HAS  BEEN  PRINTED  FOR  PRIVATE  DISTRIBUTION  AMONG  PERSONAL 
FRIENDS,  IN  ORDER  THAT  THE  PRECISE  MEANING  OF  AN  ACTION 
WHICH,  WITHOUT  EXPLANATION,  MIGHT  BE  EASILY  MISUNDER- 
STOOD, SHOULD  BE  MADE  KNOWN  TO  THEM. 


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Copy  of  Letter  Addressed  to  the  ••• 

• Board  of  Foreign  Missions. 


New  York  City,  January  gth,  i8q2. 

To  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  U.  S.  A. 

Dear  Brethren  : — In  view  of  the  uncertain  duration  of  my  absence  from 
Syria,  made  necessary  by  the  responsibilities  placed  upon  me  as  a trustee  of  my 
father's  estate,  and  also  for  other  providential  reasons,  I feel  constrained  to  re- 
quest the  Board  to  accept  my  resignation  as  one  of  its  regularly  appointed  mis- 
sionaries entitled  to  compensation  and  bound  by  corresponding  obligations  of 
service.  In  tendering  this  resignation  it  is  not  my  intention  to  give  up  all  pur- 
pose of  future  missionary  labor  in  Syria,  as  it  is  my  hope  and  expectation  to 
return  there  when  the  way  seems  open  to  do  so,  and  give  my  services  as  a 


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voluntary  offering  in  the  interest  of  the  work  now  carried  on  in  that  field  under 
the  auspices  of  this  Hoard.  If  I am  permitted  to  do  this  I should  esteem  it  a 
privilege  to  be  allowed  to  retain  an  honorary  connection  with  the  Board, 
although  I should  not  expect  to  receive  any  financial  support  or  to  claim  the 
right  to  vote  in  the  Mission  councils. 

1 feel  confident,  judging  from  past  experience,  that  I could  work  in  full 
sympathy  and  harmony  with  my  brethren  in  the  Syria  Mission,  although  occu- 
pying in  some  respects  an  independent  position.  I feel  sure,  moreover,  that 
there  is  work  of  a useful  and  important  character  open  to  me  in  preparing  re- 
ligious and  biblical  literature  in  the  Arabic  language,  and  perhaps  also  in  ren- 
dering some  further  service  in  my  old  department  of  instruction  in  the  Theologi- 
cal Seminary. 

Another  reason  which  influences  me  to  tender  this  resignation  at  this  time  is 
that  the  way  may  be  open  for  the  Board  to  regularly  appoint  some  one  to  take 
my  place  in  Syria,  and  that  the  Mission  may  feel  free  to  make  such  an  adjust- 
ment of  forces  in  the  field  as  my  continued  absence  calls  for. 

My  relations  with  the  Board  and  its  Secretaries  have  been  most  happy  during 
the  twenty-three  years  of  my  service,  and  1 am  more  deeply  impressed  than 


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ever  before  with  the  importance  and  dignity  of  the  blessed  work  in  which  it  is 
our  common  privilege  to  share. 

This  step  should  not  be  regarded  as  a resignation  from  the  work  of  Foreign 
Missions,  but  simply  as  a request  in  view  of  Providential  circumstances  for  the 
severance  of  those  formal  relations  to  the  Board  which  involve  mutual  obli- 
gations, while  at  the  same  time  the  spirit  of  loyalty  and,  so  far  as  is  practicable, 
of  willing  co-operation  also,  remains  in  full  sway  over  my  heart  and  life.  I re- 
main with  great  respect,  Yours  most  faithfully, 

JAMES  S DENNIS. 


The  Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  upon  receipt  of  the  above  letter,  passed 
the  following  resolutions : 

ACTION  OF  THE  BOARD. 

Resolved , That  the  resignation  of  Rev.  James  S.  Dennis,  D.  D.,  as  a salaried 
missionary  of  this  Board  be  accepted  ; but  that  in  view  of  his  expected  return  to 
Syria  as  a volunteer  missionary  he  be  requested  to  retain  an  honorary  connection 


5 


with  the  Board,  and  that  he  and  the  Syria  Mission  be  free  to  adjust  the  details 
of  practical  co-operation  in  a way  which  shall  be  mutually  satisfactory,  no  ob- 
ligation being  imposed  by  the  Board  upon  either  party. 

Resolved,  That  in  taking  this  action,  which  is  done  only  at  Dr.  Dennis  s own 
request,  the  Board  would  record  its  very  high  appreciation  of  the  faithful  and 
efficient  service  which  for  twenty-three  years  he  has  rendered  to  the  Syrian  Mis-  ^ 
sion  and  to  all  Christian  Missions  in  the  Arabic-speaking  world.  In  connection 
with  his  work  in  the  Theological  Seminary  at  Beirut  he  has  prepared  and  pub- 
lished in  Arabic  a systematic  course  of  study  in  Theology  embracing  two 
volumes  of  500  pages  each.  This  work  is  now  the  standard  used  not  only  in 
our  own  Seminary,  but  also  in  that  of  the  United  Presbyterian  Mission  in 
Egypt,  and  in  the  American  Board's  Seminary  in  Eastern  Turkey.  The  Board 
would  express  its  hope  that  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Dennis  may  long  be  spared  to  advance 
still  farther  the  cause  of  Christ  in  the  Arabic-speaking  world. 


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COPY  OF  LETTER  ADDRESSED  TO  THE  SYRIA  MISSION. 


New  York , January  iSth,  i8q2. 

To  the  Syria  Mission. 

Dear  Brethren  : — 1 send  you  enclosed  a copy  of  my  resignation  as  handed  in 
to  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  and  the  action  of  the  Board  upon  the  same. 
The  precise  meaning  of  this  action  is  given  in  the  letter  of  resignation.  In  one 
sense  of  the  word  it  may  be  called  a resignation,  but  in  another  and  important 
sense  it  should  not  be  considered  as  such,  since  it  is  not  an  absolute  or  final 
separation  from  Syria  and  our  work  there. 

It  has  been  evident  to  me  for  some  time  past  that  my  connection  with  the 
work  in  Syria  must  be  more  or  less  interrupted  as  time  goes  on,  and  that  my 
service  would  of  necessity  be  fragmentary7.  1 cannot  now  determine  with  any 
certainty  when  I shall  be  able  to  return.  In  view  of  this  embarrassment,  and 
the  improbability  of  my  being  able  to  render  continuous  service  in  future  years, 
it  has  seemed  to  me  wise  and  expedient  to  step  aside  and  open  the  way  for 
another  and  more  reliable  man  to  take  my  place.  One  puqjose,  therefore,  in  this 


resignation  is  to  open  the  door  for  the  Board  to  appoint  another  missionary  to 
Syria,  and  also  to  give  the  Mission  full  freedom  in  adjusting  the  work  to  be  done 
in  Syria  without  reference  to  me.  I am  still,  as  you  will  see,  an  honorary  mis- 
sionary of  the  Board,  and  if  the  way  opens  I expect  to  return  to  Syria  to  enter 
upon  some  work  which  may  be  useful  to  the  cause  of  Christ  in  that  land.  There 
is  much  to  be  done  in  the  preparation  of  religious  literature.  Several  depart- 
ments of  biblical  and  theological  study  are  as  yet  untouched  in  Arabic.  We 
need  an  Old  Testament  History  and  also  commentaries  on  the  Old  Testament 
books. 

If  I am  in  Beirut  I might  help  in  giving  instruction  in  the  Theological  Semi- 
nary without  being  responsible  for  the  supervision  of  it.  I am  sure,  judging 
from  my  past  experience  of  happy  and  unbroken  fraternal  relations  with  my 
associates,  that  while  my  function  as  a missionary  would  be  in  a certain  sense 
independent,  yet  it  would  also  be  in  a real  sense  in  full  sympathy  and  practical 
co-operation  with  the  Mission.  All  difficulty  can  be  avoided,  1 think,  by  my 
saying  frankly  that  I do  not  consider  the  Mission  under  any  obligations  to  re- 
serve or  set  apart  any  special  work  for  me,  but  just  as  free  to  go  on  as  if  I were 
not  to  return.  When  I come  back  I can  pick  up  something  which  needs  to  be 


done,  and  so  be  a help  so  far  as  I can,  and  I should  hope  in  lines  which  the 
Mission  could  cordially  approve. 

I now  wish  to  resign  my  position  as  Principal  of  the  Theological  Seminary 
and  also  as  Professor,  and  to  thank  the  Mission  for  the  confidence  they  have 
given  me  in  appointing  me  to  these  responsible  duties.  1 hope  that  much  of  the 
work  I have  done  in  this  sphere  of  service  may  be  among  the  things  which  re- 
main and  which  cannot  be  shaken.  My  great  aim  in  all  that  I did  in  the  depart- 
ment of  theological  instruction  was  to  honor  and  glorify  God’s  word  and 
Christ's  work,  and  give  to  the  students  the  whole  truth  in  its  comprehensiveness, 
and  with  as  full  an  insight  as  possible  into  its  higher  harmonies. 

I am  not  writing  a farewell  letter  to  the  Mission,  as  I hope  to  be  among  you 
all  again,  and  in  this  hope  Mrs.  Dennis  shares,  and  I am  sure  she  joins  with  me 
most  cordially  in  Christian  greetings  to  all  our  loved  circle.  We  would  like  also 
to  send  our  kind  salutations  to  all  native  friends.  We  have  both  shared  most 
keenly  in  the  sorrows  which  have  come  to  all  hearts  in  our  Syrian  family,  and  to 
some  with  such  crushing  weight.  We  pray  for  God’s  grace  to  you  all,  and  for 
His  blessing  on  the  work  in  which  we  still  hope  once  more  to  have  an  active 
share.  Yours  most  sincerely. 


9 


JAMES  S,  DENNIS. 


To  the  above  letter  the  Syria  Mission  have  sent  in  response  the  following 
minute  : 

ACTION  OF  THE  SYRIA  MISSION. 

Beirut,  February  i6th.  i8q2. 

The  committee  appointed  by  the  Syria  Mission  at  its  annual  meeting.  Febru- 
ary, 1892,  to  prepare  a minute  with  regard  to  Dr.  Dennis’s  resignation  of  his 
office  as  a Missionary  of  the  Presbyterian  Board,  present  the  following  report : 

The  members  of  the  Syria  Mission  have  learned  with  deep  emotion  of  the 
decision  which  Dr.  Dennis  has  felt  constrained  to  make,  that  he  can  no  longer 
undertake  regular  and  continuous  labor  as  a missionary  in  Syria  owing  to  provi- 
dential circumstances  beyond  his  control. 

But  the  deep  regret  we  feel  at  his  resignation  of  his  regular  missionary  office 
is  alleviated  by  the  hope  we  are  encouraged  to  entertain  that  he  may  be  able  to 
devote  a considerable  portion  of  his  time,  in  years  to  come,  in  preparing  religious 
literature  in  Syria. 

The  four  large  volumes  he  has  already  prepared  in  Arabic,  two  on  Theology, 
one  on  Christian  Evidences,  and  one  on  Biblical  Interpretation,  making  an  ag- 
gregate of  more  than  1,700  pages,  octavo,  constitute  an  invaluable  contribution 


10 


to  biblical  and  theological  literature,  in  addition  to  his  published  sermons  and 
historical  chart  of  Old  Testament  History. 

We  would  cordially  invite  Dr.  Dennis  to  make  such  preparations  as  he  finds 
practicable  while  in  America  to  complete  his  Commentaries  already  begun  on 
Isaiah,  Jonah,  Joel,  Amos,  and  Hosea.  and  his  Old  Testament  History,  and  to 
continue  his  labors  in  preparing  Commentaries  on  such  other  parts  of  the  Old 
Testament  as  may  be  agreed  upon  by  the  Mission  in  the  future. 

We  would  also  express  the  confident  hope  that  he  will  be  able  to  give  in- 
struction to  future  theological  classes  during  his  sojourn  in  Syria  in  years  to 
come. 

It  gives  us  pleasure  to  place  on  record  our  warm  appreciation  of  Dr.  Dennis’s 
labors  as  a Missionary  and  a teacher  of  young  men,  our  affection  for  him  and 
his  family,  and  our  strong  desire  that  both  he  and  his  wife  may  spend  as  much 
of  their  time  as  possible  in  the  future  as  associates  with  us  in  the  blessed  work 
to  which  our  Lord  has  called  us  in  this  land. 

Signed  on  behalf  of  the  Mission. 

„ . 1 HENRY  H.  JESSUP, 

Committee,  / w w EDDY 


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